Introduction/framework/objectives

The legislation gives the possibility for pregnant women with jobs where there are night shifts, to avoid doing them during this stage. However, sometimes the workers themselves question whether this has concrete scientific validity and what this could entail for themselves and their descendants. Not being a topic with much published literature, this review allows to consult a summary of the most up-to-date records at this level, in order to make assertive and scientific decisions regarding conditioning, as well as whether these should be mandatory or optional.

Methodology

This is a Bibliographic Review, initiated through a search carried out in May 2023 in the databases “CINALH plus with full text, Medline with full text, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Nursing and Allied Health Collection: comprehensive, MedicLatina and RCAAP”.

Content

Night shifts during pregnancy may be associated with greater family-work conflict, tiredness and sleep disturbance; as well as cancers, weight gain, diabetes, high blood pressure and other cardiovascular diseases; in addition to preterm delivery, low birth weight and congenital anomalies.

Discussion and Conclusions

Night shifts during pregnancy, especially if numerous and/or consecutive, seem to allow for some alterations, whose pathophysiology is reasonably explained/theorized. However, the probability and eventual severity of these issues must be considered by the pregnant woman herself, so that she (duly informed with regard to current medical knowledge on the subject) choose whether she wishes to continue to do some night shifts and, if so, how; since anxiety and disruption of routines can also be harmful, especially on an emotional and/or economic level (more prominently in companies where the pregnant woman has empathy with the tasks, the work team and/or I have a shared transport). It should be decided on a case-by-case basis, as a team, taking into account pregnant´s opinion.

It would be interesting for professionals working in a hospital environment, in an institution that has Obstetric service, to focus a little on the topic, portraying the national reality and publishing their research in a magazine in the area, to disseminate knowledge. and national level, with international extrapolation.

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